Terminology and Abbreviations

Throughout this site (and on some casino's sites) you will find various abbreviations being used.

These are the most common ones:

SUB

Sign-Up Bonus: The first bonus you are offered when joining a new casino.
Also sometimes called a Welcome Bonus or First Deposit Bonus.

NDB

No-Deposit Bonus: A Free Chip or Free Spins given by the casino for you to try out their games risk-free, but still have the chance of making a real
money cash-out!
Usually you only need to supply minimal information to open an account and take the freebie (e.g. just your name & e-mail address). You will only be asked for full ID if you win &
cash-out.

WR

Wagering Requirements: When you take a bonus, this is the amount you usually need to bet before being allowed to cash out.
This involves Wagering a set amount of money on specified games. e.g. If you played 100 spins on a slot machine @ $1 per spin, you will have wagered $100 towards your WR, regardless of whether
you won or lost during those spins.

D, B, and D+B

Used in conjunction with WR – this is how you work out how much you need to wager: D = Deposit B = Bonus Chips (D+B) = Deposit + Bonus Chips

Cashable

Cashable Bonus: As soon as you complete the WR for your bonus, you can cash-out everything; Deposit + Bonus Chips + Winnings.

Phantom
Phantom Bonus: When you have completed the WR for your bonus and make your first withdrawal request, the amount of the original bonus is deducted from your
account.
i.e. You can only cash-out; Deposit + Winnings and NOT the Bonus Chips.

Software
This is a general term used, which actually means the Games Provider – the companies who actually produce the casino games.
e.g. RTG (RealTime Gaming), Rival Gaming, NetEnt (Net Entertainment), MG (Microgaming) etc...
It is important to know which software each casino has before you sign-up, so that you’ll know if they have your favourite games or not.

RTP & TRTP

Return To Player: How much the game actually pays out in any given session.

Theoretical Return To Player: How much the game is designed to pay out, on average.

Say a slot machine is set to 95% TRTP - that means you will get 95% of all your wagers back in winnings.

e.g. For every $100 worth of bets you place, you will win back $95.

Note: The TRTP is based on playing infinite spins – short sessions can have massively different results.

T&Cs

Terms and Conditions: The rules you must adhere to when partaking in any form of online gambling.

If bonuses are involved, be sure to always thoroughly read the bonus T&Cs as well as the General T&Cs, as unpleasant rules can be found in either.

Variance

(Sometimes also called "Volitility")

The expected swings in fortune of any given game:

Low Variance: You get lots of frequent wins, but they are mostly very small.

High Variance: You get very few wins, but you have the chance of a massive hit.

Some examples:

Blackjack is a very Low Variance game – the max win is Bet x 1.5

Lotteries are very High Variance – you have a tiny chance of winning millions.